Competition
by soitendsandbegins
Summary: There's a new serial killer in town and she's got one thing on her mind: Will Graham. However, Dr. Lecter isn't so willing to give away his favorite past time and a competition ensues.
1. Introduction

**A/N:** What if a lady serial killer was thrown into the mix? Think of the jealousy, think of the gore. Swiggity swag the nightmare stag is going down.

**Introduction: Greetings**

Will Graham stared at the crime scene. Or as he liked to call it a painting. This particular painting had a very raw take on Alice in Wonderland, if he guessed he would say that he was staring at the scene of Alice sitting down for tea with the March Hare.

There were four bodies, one teen and three men. All had been dressed in proper renaissance wear as suggested of Wonderland and everybody had a part to play. The teen, a young woman, sat lifeless at the head of the table, hair done in an array of curls and bangs that reached down beyond her nose. The blood dripped down from her eyes, she no longer had them, they had been placed in the teacup she supposedly drank from.

The men were a different story. The one who played the March Hare lacked the top half of his skull, his brain missing. The Mad Hatter's chest had been ripped open, not with a tool but bare hands and his heart had been taken, cut out with the greatest of care. The dormouse, he was a sad tale, he had been ground up, placed into a teapot with only his hand left to hold up the teapot as a centerpiece.

Will didn't want to look but he had to. Had to understand why and how. His heart sped up, his pulse began to ring in his ears, his breathing became heavier, and he closed his eyes. His body tensed as he felt time rewinding around him and when he opened them again, the room was empty with only a table to give it life.

He heard footsteps, not sure if it was a woman or man, they walked barefoot, not to slow and not to fast. There was no hurry, never a sense of urgency, you miss details when you worry about the ticking of the clock. The bodies were already dressed in proper clothing, victims alive, but unconscious, barely breathing, dragged in on a cart. They had been positioned first, feet stapled to the ground so they wouldn't move, screams filling the room as eyes were taking out, chests were ripped open.

However, that wasn't the hard part, the details were the most time consuming. The hair had to be curled and cut, the silverware collected, and napkins folded. This wasn't a chore, it was nothing but fun, a way to kill time, to tell a story, to honor the imagination of Alice in Wonderland.

"We won't see another one like this," Will said. Jack looked back at him, taking a step away from the crime scene as evidence was collected.

"This was a one time thing then?" Jack asked.

"No, this was a way to show honor to the story of Alice, wonder in it's rawest form. This story will not be repeated but there will be others to tell, others to honor. Man or woman they are highly intelligent, sadistic, and bored. Hence the reason for the story," Will answered.

"I'm not one for stories." As Jack told them where to take evidence and such, Will took a step forward. Something had caught his eye, he grabbed a pair of gloves from the top of one of the silver work cases and opened an evidence bag. He looked inside one of the teacups where a small origami crane had been carefully placed. Opening it there was a note written in dried blood: "Hello."

* * *

Hannibal looked at his watch there were only a few minutes before his next appointment would show, he took the time to clean up a bit. Not that he needed to, but a book out of place somehow grated on his nerves. Glancing at his watch again he looked down, it was time to open the door.

When he did, he was surprised to find that no one was there. He hated tardiness, he found it quite rude. Turning around to walk inside and was greeted by a woman, who sat in one of his chairs like she had been there from the start.

"Rather quiet," he said.

"Yes, I get a lot of complaints about that. Habitual really, sorry for the surprise. I believe you're owed an introduction," she smiled. She was a bit on the tall side and skinny, but her looks were good at hiding her inner strength. Hannibal could see her muscles and how strong they were. She smelled like cedar and books.

"No need, I have your paperwork," Hannibal chuckled. He sat directly across from her, neither of them said a single word. Hannibal tilted his head, she was maybe a year or two younger than he was, she was a beautiful shade of golden bronze but was somehow pale. Despite her skin tone her eyes were a mixture of greens and oranges and her hair was straight jet black, it had been thrown over her shoulder but it still looked organized, ending at her waist.

There was something else inside of her, something similar to him but much more grounded in the world of theatrics and art. Maybe she would be fun to pass time with, when he wasn't passing it with Will Graham.

"May I ask the reason you're seeking a psychiatrist? Most women prefer other women," Hannibal said.

"They do don't they? Weaklings really, fear of exploration by the other sex. You can call my name you know, it's not taboo. Unless I've scared you in some way?"

"Don't be silly, Miss Minda. Still haven't answered my question, frightened?" The woman laughed, the redirection of sentiment was funny.

"You may call me Minda and to answer you, I don't need therapy. You're a hard man to get to so I had to fake a few compulsions, read about you in an article ten or so years ago had to meet you. Instead of therapy, I just want to talk and you can make any conclusions you want about me, Dr. Lecter."

"Talking is why you're here, why would you fake a compulsion just to see me?"

"The same reason you fake being just a intelligent psychiatrist, when we both know, that's not quite true. It's a half lie, like a double agent."

"Did you come here to try and catch me then?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, I like your work, I hope you might like mine. However, there is something you have that I don't which I'm quite envious of."

"And what is that?"

"Will Graham, give him to me."

"No."

"Shall we play a game then?"

"Changing the subject?"

"It's the same but the conditions are different, I want Will Graham. I get bored painting sometimes and he just seems like so much fun to play with."

"He's not a toy."

"Pot calling the kettle black don't you think? You get a bit possessive over Will Graham. You want him, want him to suffer, want him to scream and cry and to beg, but you want his pain and hatred. Are you grooming Will Graham or cornering him so you can rip off his wings?"

"Minda, who are you?"

"I'm your competition. Sorry to keep this session short, I hope we can talk again Dr. Lecter. I like the way that sounds, rolls of the tongue. I hope you read about my hello present to you, thought you might enjoy it. This is going to be one hell of a game, don't you think?"

"And if I don't want to play?"

"Dr. Lecter, don't insult me. If you hated the idea so badly, then why are you trying your best to hide your smile?" She was right, at the very mention the conversation turned into killing and Will he couldn't help but smile. She wasn't a friend but certainly someone he could share his other life with and if he grew tired of her, he could kill her easily. Minda raised an eyebrow, as if she could sense the thought. "I can't wait for our next session."

"Neither can I." The two smiled at each other, almost mimicking each other's movements with the slight tilt of their head. Will Graham was in danger but it was hard to tell who was more dangerous.

**A/N:** It's short because it's an intro, but I sure as hell like it. If you have any scenes from books you want me to include tell me, could use more material. **UPDATE EVERY OTHER WEEK!** Unless I have nothing to do then it'll be updated quicker. That's as soon as I can get to it.


	2. The Ball in the Court

**Chapter 2:** Ball in the Court

She didn't stare at herself in the mirror, she didn't need to. Walking carefully to her closet she let the sheets that covered her fall to the floor as she opened the large doors, staring at the numerous amount of clothes that she possessed. The clothes ranged from expensive to bargain, each served a purpose. She ran a finger across her bottom lip, the choice had to be careful, she was preparing for battle. Nothing expensive or to fashionable, but somehow slightly clumsy. Makeup was not needed, not yet anyway. Throwing the clothing options on the bed she stared at her hair next, unlike her clothes it would need to be in perfect condition. A simple ponytail over her shoulder, with a braid that seemed a bit loose.

She had to think carefully, from clothes to hair to shoes to even scent. She was getting ready, her first move on the chessboard and it had to be perfect.

* * *

Will Graham sat there on the park bench watching the ducks on the lake. He had no intention of going back to his classroom, fear of seeing Jack or Alana. He didn't want Jack to keep pushing him for answers and he didn't want to be reminded of how unstable he was by Alana. He liked them both well enough but not enough that he wanted to see them daily. Besides, he liked to be by himself.

He turned his head around, glancing briefly at the people surrounding him. There were quite a number of them but only one stuck out to him in particular. A woman who was reading, but she wasn't reading, not once had she lifted a finger to even remotely turn the page. Sighing, he got up and walked over to her.

"Are you stalking me?" Will asked. The woman didn't answer, only glanced up at him and setting her book down.

"I don't even know you, why would I stalk someone that I don't know?" she asked.

"Good answer, why were you staring then?"

"I like your glasses." Will almost said that he wasn't wearing any but he reached up to grab them, he must have forgotten that he had them on. He shoved them into his pocket, trying his best to hide the red in his cheeks. "That doesn't answer the question."

"It did well enough, unless you want to ask me some more?" she asked.

"Uh no, I just…I noticed you staring and…" Will trailed off, he didn't know why he even came over. It was normal for others to stare at him but hers was somehow different. He began to stare at his feet, searching for something to say, confident that she grew tired of his company. When he looked up again he was surprised to find her smiling at him.

"Am I making you nervous?" she wondered.

"I don't get nervous," Will said.

"You want to talk?"

"We just met."

"All the more reason to talk. Besides, you look like you don't want to go where you're supposed to."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm doing the same thing." Will felt himself smile, she was a rather interesting sort of woman, a bit bold but he liked a straightforward human being. He found comfort in them for some reason.

"Graham," he said.

"Kakkar, nice to meet you Mr. Graham," she smiled. The two shook hands and Will took a seat across from her at the table. He looked down at the book she was reading, it was about vintage style ideas for a house. "What are you avoiding Mr. Graham?"

"Certain aspects of my job require me to do things I'd rather not," he answered, feeling a bit weird to be called Mr. Graham.

"And you Ms. Kakkar?"

"Pediatric surgeon, kid needs a new lung, not sure if he's going to make it. I hate talking to parents about probability and it's probable the kid dies." Will paused, not sure what to say, she was very straightforward. It reminded Will of Alana in a way but there was something else about her straightforwardness.

"Seems we both share jobs that deliver bad news," Will chuckled.

"And what do you do?" she asked.

"I uh…profile people, killers to be exact."

"I would say that's awful and offer some form of condolence but from what tv shows tell me that sounds rather amazing."

"It's not, trust me."

"Trust you, aren't you a stranger?"

"Maybe next time we meet, we won't be strangers?"

"You never know, we might bump into each other the next time we're running away from our problems." Minda reach out and pushed Will's glasses up. His face immediately turned red, she watched his cheeks turn red and noticed the slight redness in his ears. She smiled, that might have been a bit cute. "See you around Mr. Graham."

"Will," he said quickly, fighting his tongue not to stutter out his name.

"Next time, I'll tell you mine," she smiled. Will watched the woman leave as she shuffled her hands into her pockets. He felt his lips upturn into a smile, he rather liked that meeting. He scoffed at the idea of meeting the woman again, probably not, he was never that lucky. His phone began to ring, before looking at the caller id he already knew that it was Jack. He sighed as he headed off to the office, ignoring the call. If he knew Jack then Jack would find him.

* * *

"I…met someone today," Will smiled. Hannibal stopped staring at his notes and looked up. He eased back into his chair, thinking of something to say.

"Tell me about them," he said. Will told Hannibal about the meeting with Ms. Kakkar. Hannibal felt his jaw tighten, he knew exactly who Will was talking about. This woman was moving rather quickly but she had said that the game was on, she wasn't joking. Hannibal didn't mind much, he liked the challenge of it and he had been growing bored lately.

Next Will shared the gruesome murder that had taken place earlier, themed after a scene in a popular children's book. Hannibal made a note to get Jack to show him the crime scene photos, he did enjoy looking at another's work from time to time. Provided that the work was impeccable.

When Will had left his office he began to tidy up, it didn't take long it was a matter of placing a book from one shelf to another.

"I think he likes me," Minda chuckled. Hannibal looked up at his balcony, he didn't question how she got in and had done so in such a quiet manner.

"That's not really relevant now is it?" he asked.

"Oh, don't get jealous. You can make a move anytime, the ball's in your court."

"I don't get jealous."

"Deny, deny, deny, ever get tired of that? That's where we differ Hannibal, I like to rip the wings off and you'd rather watch them after they've ripped their own wings. Are you really content with just watching?"

"The ball's in my court? Well, I suppose I'll have to do something with it." Minda searched through the many books that Hannibal had on his shelf. She found that she quite liked one that had been written in German. It was an intense study about the brain.

"You mind if I borrow this?" she asked him.

"As long as you don't damage it," he said.

"Good, I have an idea for when it's my turn. Speaking of which, I brought something special for you." Minda jumped down from the balcony and handed him a bento box. Hannibal placed it on his desk, waiting for Minda to explain what was inside.

"Had a friend make it special for you. Four michelin star quality chef, pity he didn't recognize the meat. Spent all night guessing, never figured it out. Though you might be able to guess. Can't wait to read about you in the paper Hannibal. We can talk about it during my appointment." Minda chuckled as she placed the book onto her shoulder, she would have to go hunting. At least fifteen people would be necessary for the task but since it was Hannibal's turn she wasn't worried about collecting them in time. She just had to keep them alive long enough until the perfect moment.

Now that she had made contact with Will the stone was now rolling down the hill. How fast it went all depended on how innocently stupid Will was.

**A/N:** Next chapter it is about to get super exciting, lot of Hannibal and Will interaction. It's gonna be fun, fun, fun.


End file.
